The Gamer's Quarter

[mudokononastick]

It's a genre that's been dormant, if not dead for awhile, and while a resurgence is underway as we creep into the fourth quarter of 2005, I have some apprehension about the beat 'em up genre once again being represented on the store shelves at our gameshop of choice.

Personally, if there is one title I'm dead set on acquiring, it's Rockstar's first licensed title, The Warriors, based on the 1979 cult gang movie. Considering the gameplay innovation that R*'s (in)famous for, I'm betting this game will be the freshest take on walking around city streets and pounding on hated enemies. Beatdown from Capcom is one week away from release, buuuuut...it just seems like you can hear the ocean, crickets and tumbleweeds, anything but a strong buzz of what to expect. They're doing the sandbox type of environment for the game, but how will the play mechanics be? I hope it won't be an exercise in tedium. Then there's also Capcom's newest addition to the Final Fight series,Final Fight-Streetwise due out a few months afterwards. While I don't know where I stand with Beatdown, I am a big fan of Final Fight, and in fact have blown $4-5 at a time on certain weekends just to beat it. I heard that the character you play is Cody's brother, but hopefully they'll have hidden options like Cody, Guy and Haggar. I'd love to see Haggar piledrive a punk in 3D. Lastly, there's Namco's Urban Reign, which I've heard has a fighting system based around the styles of Tekken. That's got me curious, but I'm not won over...not unless I can fight like Eddy Gordo.

So...what do you think of the revival of the beat 'em up genre?
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Dinah Moe Humm, Dinah Moe Humm, Where's this Dinah Moe comin' from?

[dessgeega]

dont forget


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[Mr. Mechanical]

I don't think the beat-em-up ever left us, I just think it evolved into the 3D action brawlers we see to today. When I first played God of War I thought to msyelf, Why does it feel like I'm playing Double Dragon 2 here?

[SuperWes]

This:



Is actually a fighting game, so it doesn't count.

I'm with Mr. Mech though, Beat em' ups haven't left us, they've just evolved. Castlevania: Lament of the Innocent is pretty much a beat em' up. So is God of War, State of Emergency, the Evil Dead Games, etc. etc. And the new Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks is pretty much the best beat em' up ever*, so...

-Wes

* Judging from the demo
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[Mr. Mechanical]

[Mister Toups]

Final Fight, bitches!
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where were you when nana komatsu got a wii?